We learned at the annual BlackBerry Live conference that the company will soon make certain parts of its Messenger service available to Apple and Android users as free downloads. Later in the year, “fully featured” voice and screen-sharing capabilities across different platforms will become available.
Right now BBM is exclusive to BlackBerry users, but RIM is getting ready to branch out the services as a totally free-standing app accessible on iPads, iPhones, iPod touches, and devices that run on Android. CEO Thorsten Heins said the company wants BBM to flourish as a unique asset: “It’s time to bring BBM to a greater audience, no matter what mobile device they carry.” He feels that exposure to the features of BBM will win the preference of users currently using different messaging options.
So far, support for BBM is planned for Android 4.0 and iOS 6 or higher. Right away, users will be able to share notes and photos, access BBM chats, and participate in BBM groups of up to 30 people.
Concerns are that the immediate focus is not monetization, so the hardware franchise will be weakened. Some consumers may now choose an Apple or Android device instead of a BlackBerry because BBM will be available elsewhere.
